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Ehr Daily ear Mrrl CHARLES DAHAN EYE CANDY Charles Dahan is a political science graduate student from California. E-MAIL: CDAHANSGMAII COM Coming to terms with the death of a stranger I never met Eve Carson, and perhaps writing a column about the tragedy seems only obligators' —some soaring epit ome to her greatness juxtaposed against the worlds dark and evil forces, or something about how we as a community can heal. Yet Saturday 1 broke down —a fairly uncommon event and cer tainly completely unprecedented when the catalyst is an individual completely personally unknown. 1 thought writing such a col umn would be selfish, more a diary entry or therapy session than a newspaper column. 1 didn't even attend the vigil, an act 1 thought would amount to intrusion or be perceived as obligatory. What COMMUNITY COLUMNIST the hell can 1 say after her friends, loved ones, colleagues and class mates offered beautiful tributes and thousands leaned on each other to make sense of the event? Few of the folks who showed up at the vigil personally knew her, but many felt more than an expected pang of empathy and disdain for the tragic act. And 1 doubt they were there purely to show support for others, comfort friends or out of a sense of moral obligation. Instead attendance seemed organic, not a manifestation out of some innate sense of duty or an attempted catharsis. Why is this situation so trou bling. more so than other stories of students dying too young? At first, 1 wasn't emotionally affected by the tragedy. To get through the day these things are mentally filed away into some "tragic incidents” folder. Indeed. 1 logged it away with the other evil events, those things you are powerless to influence and do not internalize, and instead placed a check in that mental score sheet tracking existential good versus evil. It’s more evidence that we’re screwed, that the world is going to hell, but gosh, if I dwell on this for another moment I’m going to be late for a recitation. If death doesn't carry a per sonal loss —some sort of tangible consequence such as never seeing a loved one, friend, idol or hero again it is only the result of some troubling cause. The cause is the tragic and painful part, the thing that requires contempla tion and allows for categoriza tion: cancer, drunk drivers or one of those seven sins my Catholic cousin warned me about. Maybe I broke down Saturday because I was purely selfish, tired of trying to fit this neatly into a folder, trying to go about my own life with as little inconvenience as possible. There's always some sort of reason, some way to classify’ tragedies. The killer was men tally unstable. The killer wanted money. The killer was jealous or angry or some other completely unjustifiable and inexcusable reason but a reason nonetheless. Yet this one isn’t right. As details come out, that categoriza tion just doesn't work. While little is known about the event, the motives and frankly anything more than the fact a 22-year-old woman was found shot to death on a Chapel Hill side street, the complete help lessness of this situation is what is so troubling for me. Had it been a murder out of jealousy, vengeance or mental instability discussing different methods of redress would be possible. Yet those reasons would allow the incident to be immediately and, perhaps carelessly, filed away not evoking the same contem plation or emotional investment The term “mindless violence” is often thrown around. Yet the combination of the proximity both geographic and communal —of the victim and the inability to find any discernible motivation, no matter how twisted or per verted, leave examining the kill ing frustrating. The killing leaves the photo of an amazing woman uncategorized and unfiled, sitting on the forefront of my mind. EDITORIAL CARTOON By Alex Lee, lobinOemail.unc.edu ft B * ' ~-fe Attacking the wrong party Doles assault on legal immigrants is misguided The United States of America is not referred to as “the melting pot" because its residents love fon due that recognition can be left to the Swiss and the 19605. This nation is called the melting pot because of our tradition of immigrants coming to America searching for a better life. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., recently teamed up with a group of moderate and conservative Republicans to introduce two anti-immigration bills in the U.S. Senate —and they don’t just target illegal immigration. The Safe Roads Enhancement Act is the first of the two bills Dole introduced that would force both legal and illegal immigrants to start the deportation process if they are convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. This is unsound. After all. these people went through legal avenues in order to estab lish residency and should not A little dirt isn’t bad Clean campaign fund is too restrictive to be effective Politics in North Carolina have always been par ticularly dirty, but Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue is hoping to clean them up. The Democratic candidate for governor wants to create the Endowment for Positive Gubernatorial Campaigns, a SSO million trust fund that would aim to reward candi dates for staying positive in elections by giving out money to candidates who agree to a series of stipulations, such as refusing to run negative ads. Although versions of the plan have been supported by everyone from Richard Moore, another Democratic guberna torial candidate, to former Vice President Al Gore, it is still a bad idea. The plan is a bit overzealous in its desire to keep campaigns clean. The fund goes so far as to forbid candidates from mentioning other candidates’ names in commercials. It’s going to be tough for candidates to differentiate themselves from each other if they aren’t allowed to refer to Spread the wealth NCCU students should be able to choose w here to serve As college students, it can sometimes be dif ficult to remember that a community exists outside the dining halls, the classrooms and the sports stadiums. While we certainly sup port hitting the books, we also strongly encourage students to get out into local communities and make a difference. N.C. Central University has certainly committed itself to community, requiring all stu dents to complete 120 hours of service in order to graduate Chancellor Charlie Nelms hopes to refocus that mandate so that students complete these hours at local public schools. While the push to provide a positive presence in local com munities is certainly laudable, it Opinion be denied this for something that one in 139 licensed drivers was arrested for in 2004. As legal residents, they shouldn't be subject to different punishments than U.S. citizens. The bill does exempt people who are in the United States on student visas and their families, but that still leaves a broad swath of legal immigrants who have come to our country for financial or work-related reasons. The same bill classifies a repeat drunk driving offense as an aggravated felony, a category of crimes that holds harsh consequences for immi grants in search of citizenship, legal permanent residence or escape of deportation. Dole's second bill would over turn a Clinton-era executive order that mandates federal gov ernment services be offered in foreign languages if requested. Basically, if you don’t speak English, you’re out of luck trv their opponents in advertise ments. Candidates should be able to tell voters why they are different from other can didates. and this fund doesn’t allow for that. If the number of presidential candidates accepting public funding is any indication, very few candidates will sign up for the gubernatorial fund anyway. Accepting the fund's money means adhering to its rules, and these rules will force cam paigns to stay positive under all circumstances. Negative advertising works, thus putting campaigns that have accepted the fund’s money at a disadvantage against those that have not. Presumably, politicians would prefer to have a winning campaign rather than a positive one, something the fund needs to take into account when craft ing its rules and principles. Furthermore, we dislike the nature of the bipartisan board that would run the endow ment. The board would con sist of 12 members chosen by legislative leaders and would also presents some challenges. Academic, social and finan cial demands can make it dif ficult for students to amass 120 hours during their undergrad uate stay. A number of NCCU students with tight schedules have probably developed rela tionships with other commu nity service organizations. In making the change, Nelms hopes to increase the visibility and presence of NCCU stu dents in local public schools. C.C. Spaulding Elementary- School principal Vandi Kelley said a closer relationship with NCCU will also mean that more local elementary students w-ill have the opportunity to visit college classrooms. Many young students never seriously consider the possibil ing to understand any federal brouhaha thrown your way. We've all seen or heard of the stereotypical American tourist who goes to France not speaking the language and is outraged when a dinner menu is not offered in English. Just imagine not having the abil ity to obtain a menu of your federal rights. Stupid is a very harsh word, but quite frankly, these bills are just that stupid. Stupid, as well as unfair and ridiculous. It’s nonsensical to punish those who actually endured the time and effort to become a legal immigrant. If Dole and her collaborators really want to cut down on illegal immigration, the bill defeats that purpose. Little Italy, Chinatown w-e're a nation of immigrants. If people come here legally, they should not be treated any dif ferently. Pass the fondue we love this melting pot. have the power to determine which candidates qualify for the fund's money. If the fund has the power to give campaigns money, it also has the power to take that money away, which would be particularly detrimental since one of the requirements is that the endowment is the candi dates only source of funding for advertising. What constitutes a “negative" advertisement is a definite gray area. If for some reason the board decided to arbitrarily cut off a candidate's funding when the election is only a few weeks away, that candidate would be virtually guaranteed to lose the election. No candidate wants his entire campaign to hinge on the whims of a board, even a bipartisan one. In the end, while it might sound nice to have elections that are positive and upbeat, there isn’t any need to have a SSO million fund to encourage it. Instead, stick to what has worked for decades: Let the voters decide what kinds of campaigns they like. ity of a college education, so it is prudent on the part of adminis trators to instill in these kids the hope of continuing education. However, this change restricts the ability of NCCU students to connect to a number of other laudable service organizations that could help open up future career opportunities. Plus, other service organiza tions are just as worthy for enlist ing the help of NCCU students as the neighboring schools. And with an enrollment of nearly 5,500, surely- there are enough students to go around. Instead of mandating service in local schools, NCCU would be better off simply strongly encouraging it, while allowing students to choose their own method of service. MONDAY, MARCH 17. 2008 QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We're all better in some way because we knew Eve Carson” MAXINE EASOM, CARSON'S HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AT CLARKE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL IN ATHENS, GA. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Feel strongly about something that has been printed? Post your own response to a letter, editorial or story online. VISIT www.daUytarheel.com/feedback Women-only gym hours are insulting to women TO THE EDITOR: Regarding “No men allowed" (Mar. 5): I can see the well-intend ed reasons behind women-only hours at gyms, especially if the women such a program benefits are otherwise unable to work out due to rigid religious principles (in the rest of my argument, I am not referring to such women). But even though it’s obvious for anyone who's gone to the SRC in the afternoon that UNC’s rec reational centers are annoyingly undersized, the main problem in instituting women-only hours isn't practical but ideological. A program of gendered gym segregation designed to “help" women seems to be glaringly iron ic; it was the same problem with the self-contradicting Jim Crow maxim of "separate but equal." By the very act of implement ing such a policy, there seems a tacit admission not only that women cannot function effec tively by themselves in a male dominated environment, but also that they’re not as naturally inclined to athletic pursuits as men and hence need university sponsored help to integrate them into the male world of exercise. And without this help, such a policy also seems to imply, women in a co-ed gym w ould ful fill the same old false stereotypes that they've been combating for centuries: They have self-image problems, are self-conscious and cannot transcend their meekness to powerfully assert their own physicality and sexuality. Despite its applauded guise of liberal progressivism, this policy seems insultingly paternalistic, more insulting, in fact, than a man who indiscreetly checks out women at the gym. Marc Formeister Senior English Itemizing student fees would solve gym issues TO THE EDITOR: There comes a point w-here one has to draw the line on issues of political correctness, and The Daily Tar Heel (editorial board) should have drawn that line (“No men allowed." Mar. 5). Women-only gym hours are not a bad thing, given they are justified correctly. Justifying them based on the “needs" of slx women is absurd, to say the least A gym is a public facility; everyone contrib utes together for equal access. If a woman feels uncomfortable exercising in a gym, it’s not the job of everyone else to pander to her needs. That’s why things like private gyms, private schools and private hospitals exist to cater toward more unique consumes who are dissatisfied enough with the public equivalent that they are willing to pay a higher premium. How is it that the needs of those six women supersede everyone else’s right to use the gym? The solution: itemize stu dent fees. If someone doesn’t want to use a gym because they are too uncomfortable exercising in it, don’t make them pay for it. It would be unfair to have to pay the same amount for gym access if it 's not as accessible as it would be to someone else. Adrian Randall Junior Chemistry SPEAK OUT WRITING GUIDELINES: ► Mease type: Handwritten letters will not be accepted. ► Sign and date: No more than two people should sign letters. ► Students: Include your year, major and phone number. ► Faculty/staff: Include your department and phone number. ► Edit: The DTH edits for space, clarity, accuracy and vulgarity. Limit letters to 250 words. SUBMISSION: ► Drop-off: at our office at Suite 2409 in the Student Union. ► E-mail: to editdeskOunc.edu ► Send: to P.O. Box 3257. Chapel HiM, NX.. 27515 EDITOR'S NOTE: Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the optnions of The Daily Tar Heel or its staff. Editorials are the opinions solely of The Daily Tar Heel edito rial board the board consists of nine board members, the associate opinion editor, the opinion editor and the editor The 2007-08 editor decided not to vote on the board 11 Religion not a good reason for women-only gym hours TO THE EDITOR: The concept of “women-only" workout facilities is by no means a new one (“No men allowed." March 5). I can see plenty of reasons why women might not feel comfortable working out in the presence of a bunch of sweaty jocks. However, I am concerned by Harvard's decision to bring reli gious preference to the forefront of this issue. Such a move risks setting a dangerous precedent in a nation founded on the separa tion of church and state. Our friends in Britain, for example, are currently engaged in serious debate over the extent to which Muslim Sharia law ought to apply to British citizens (Sharia courts are legal under British law). Let's hope it never comes to that in this country. As far as I’m concerned. Harvard can do what it wants as a private institution. We re talk ing about the same university that proposed restrictive “speech codes’ at its iaw school. UNC, on the other hand, is a public institution and ought to take the U.S. Constitution a bit more seriously than Harvard chooses to. I'm not saying we shouldn't have women-only hours at Fetzer or the SRC; in fact, 1 generally support the idea, but for the edit board to imply that religious preferences are an acceptable justification for the policy is an outright affront to the same amendment that pro tects us as journalists. Andrew Stiles Junior Journalism Greenbridge will be bad for the local community TO THE EDITOR: From car companies to coal mining, every smart marketing executive for big business today is using a green spin on their advertising campaign. It’s called “greenwash," and the proposed condominium Greenbridge. to be built between Carrboro and Chapel Hill, is no different. This will be a towering eye sore of 10 stories that will lead to a radical change in the local community. Greenbridge Developments is using the mask of sustainability to make an ugly project look pret tier. Condominiums never have and never will be good for the earth. Drawing more residents into town will only lead to more development, and soon Carrboro and Chapel Hill will see a huge rise in population and sprawl. Forests will be cut down to make room for more housing, more stores and more parking. If this company really cared about the earth and global warming, they would donate the land to the city to be used as a community garden to provide locally grown, organic food and help build community, equity and self-sufficiency. The only thing green about Greenbridge is the money these developers will be stuffing into their already filled pockets. Tamara Matheson Sophomore Biology Shr Saily uar Hrri Established 1893 . 115 years of editorialfreedom ERIN ZUREICK EDITOR. 962-4086 ZUREKKSE MAIL.UNC EDU OFFICE HOURS: MON.. WED.. FRI I-2PM ADAM STORCK OPINION EDITOR. 962 0750 APSTORCKSUNC.EDU JONATHAN TUGMAN ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR 9620750 TU6MANSUNC.EDU EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS JESSICA SCISM TED STRONG SARAH WHITWORTH KATHRYN ARDIZZONE SARAH LETRENT DUNCAN CARLTON EIYSE MCCOY GRAHAM ROWE DAVID GIANCASPRO
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 17, 2008, edition 1
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